Committee Composition and Term(s) of Office

Chair: one-year term; serves as the liaison to the ALA Membership Committee

Committee Members: one-year term; can be re-appointed

Committee Charge

The purpose of the Membership Promotion Diversity and Recruitment Committee is to promote membership and encourage diversity in NMRT and ALA. MPDR accomplishes this mission by promoting a positive image of the New Members Round Table and attracting minority librarians and library school students for membership in ALA and NMRT.

History of the Committee

The Membership Promotion Diversity and Recruitment Committee was created in 2007 by combining the Membership, Promotion and Relations Committee and the Diversity Committee. Documentation is scarce for the history of the Membership Promotion and Relations Committee and needs further investigation. The Diversity Committee was created in 1981 as the “Minority Recruitment Committee”, it became a standing committee January 17, 1987. Its charge was focused on the recruitment and retention of minority librarians. In 1996, a motion was made and passed to change the committee name. This committee was renamed the Diversity Committee, and its charge expanded to reach broader groups of underrepresented people. The responsibility of welcoming new members was added due to the May 2009 disbanding of the Membership Relations Committee.

Major Responsibilities

Welcome new members (responsibility added due to the disbanding of the Membership Relations committee)

Maintain a current membership promotion brochure that can be made available for membership promotion by the committee, NMRT members, the state affiliates, the ALA Membership Committee, and ALA headquarters. Make brochures available at ALA conferences.

Create promotional materials that encourage membership in ALA and NMRT from librarians, library school students, and library supporters from traditionally underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, persons with disabilities, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.

Send a welcome letter or email message to all new NMRT members with information on NMRT programs, committees, and opportunities for involvement.

Develop other promotional programs as opportunities become available.

Procedures Used to Accomplish Major Responsibilities

Seek positive means for promoting NMRT that benefit the profession, obtain approval from the executive committee, and complete projects.

Contact the various groups using the membership brochure (affiliates, library school, NMRT Staff Liaison, liaison to ALA Membership Committee) to be sure that they have sufficient membership brochures on hand to meet demand.

Promote diverse membership and participation in NMRT, its committee work, and programs.

Collaborate with other NMRT committees to recruit new librarians for round table membership.

Increase awareness of diversity issues and resources among NMRT committees and members.

Reports to

Outreach Director

Contact People for Accomplishing Committee Objectives

NMRT President

NMRT Outreach Director

ALA Membership Chair

NMRT Affiliates Council Members

NMRT Vice-President/President-Elect

NMRT Staff Liaison

Individuals connected with projects and/or programs

NMRT Membership Promotion and Relations Committee Members

Types of Recordkeeping

The Membership Promotion and Relations Committee maintains records relating to the committee and all correspondence.

Publicity Needs

Articles or advertisements can be used to promote membership. Media to be considered include Footnotes, Cognotes, American Libraries, other national library journals, state library association newsletters, and state NMRT newsletters. All articles and publicity should be submitted to the Publicity Committee Chair, who will distribute this information to the appropriate publications.

Correspondence and Carbon Correspondence

NMRT President

NMRT Vice-President/President-Elect

NMRT Outreach Director

NMRT Staff Liaison, when appropriate

NMRT Membership Promotion and Relations Committee Members

Reports and Dates for Submitting Reports

The Membership Promotion Diversity and Relations Committee submits written reports to the NMRT President and Executive Committee at the Midwinter Meeting, at the Annual Conference, and at other times upon request. When appropriate, articles and publications may be submitted to the Footnotes Editor and to the Publicity Committee Chair.

Helpful Hints

The Public Information Office at ALA is often able to provide design and printing services to units of ALA (at a fee, of course.) PIO’s experience with costs of printing and graphic art and other items related to printing brochures is very helpful to someone who is inexperienced in producing large runs of publications.

The Staff Liaison to the ALA Membership Committee should be supplied with any brochures that are printed. Each state member of the Membership Task Force receives a packet of brochures from all the divisions and round tables immediately prior to his/her state conference and can use the materials to promote membership in these units.

The membership of state NMRT chapters is a good recruiting ground for NMRT membership. Work with Affiliates Council President to secure lists and plan a membership drive.

General Timetable

July

Suggest committee members to NMRT President.

Review files and NMRT Handbook.

Establish contact with NMRT Outreach Director.

Contact committee members for their ideas on membership promotion.

Use ALA-supplied mailing labels to send a welcome letter and relevant brochures (committee interest forms, etc.) to each new member who joined NMRT during the previous month.

August

Prepare mailings for library schools if using a fall mailing date.

Prepare planning report.

Use ALA-supplied mailing labels to send a welcome letter and relevant brochures (committee interest forms, etc.) to each new member who joined NMRT during the previous month.

September

Contact groups using membership promotion brochure to see if they have enough copies on hand.

Use ALA-supplied mailing labels to send a welcome letter and relevant brochures (committee interest forms, etc.) to each new member who joined NMRT during the previous month.

October

Use ALA-supplied mailing labels to send a welcome letter and relevant brochures (committee interest forms, etc.) to each new member who joined NMRT during the previous month.

November

Use ALA-supplied mailing labels to send a welcome letter and relevant brochures (committee interest forms, etc.) to each new member who joined NMRT during the previous month.

December

Schedule Annual Conference Committee meeting.

Use ALA-supplied mailing labels to send a welcome letter and relevant brochures (committee interest forms, etc.) to each new member who joined NMRT during the previous month.

January

Use ALA-supplied mailing labels to send a welcome letter and relevant brochures (committee interest forms, etc.) to each new member who joined NMRT during the previous month.

Midwinter

Midwinter report due.

Meet with NMRT Membership Promotion and Relations Committee.

Present ideas for projects to Executive Committee.

Meet with ALA Membership Task Force.

Contact Students to ALA Chair about coordinating a mailing.

February

Use ALA-supplied mailing labels to send a welcome letter and relevant brochures (committee interest forms, etc.) to each new member who joined NMRT during the previous month.

March

Use ALA-supplied mailing labels to send or email a welcome letter and relevant brochures (committee interest forms, etc.) to each new member who joined NMRT during the previous month.

April

Use ALA-supplied mailing labels to send or email a welcome letter and relevant brochures (committee interest forms, etc.) to each new member who joined NMRT during the previous month.

May

Use ALA-supplied mailing labels to send or email a welcome letter and relevant brochures (committee interest forms, etc.) to each new member who joined NMRT during the previous month.

June

Prepare files to send to next committee chair.

Use ALA-supplied mailing labels to send or email a welcome letter and relevant brochures (committee interest forms, etc.) to each new member who joined NMRT during the previous month.